Product category driven navigation menu

ABSTRACT

A method and system for creating a product menu for an e-commerce website has been developed. First, a product category list is created using a navigation menu editor for the website. The product category list is then organized into a tree hierarchy using the navigation menu editor. The product category list is stored in a database and accessed later through an application program interface (API). The product category list is filtered according to the tree hierarchy and displayed as a product menu to a user of the website via a user interface (UI).

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate generally to navigation menus for commercial products. More particularly, embodiments of the subject matter relate to a product category driven navigation menu.

BACKGROUND

As e-commerce becomes more dominant in the marketplace, an efficient webpage is critical to success. This is especially true with respect to products and services listed in a menu for a customer. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a product category driven menu. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the subject matter may be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 is block diagram of a system for providing a product category driven menu in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is flow chart of a method of implementing a product category driven menu in accordance with one embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of an exemplary multi-tenant computing environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method and system for creating a product menu for an e-commerce website has been developed. A product category hierarchy (or product catalog) is created outside of a navigation menu editor. In a navigation menu editor, a configuration menu item may be added that refers to product catalog. In other words, a ‘placeholder’ for product catalog is added in the menu configuration. This tells the system to render product categories as navigation menu items on the website. The product category list is stored in a database and accessed later through an application program interface (API). The product category list is filtered according to the tree hierarchy and displayed as a product menu to a user of the website via a user interface (UI).

Turning now to FIG. 1, a block diagram 100 is shown of a system for providing a product category driven menu in accordance with one embodiment. The system includes Navigation Menu Editor 104. This editor allows the partner to create and edit a menu that is available to a user of the website. In this embodiment, the website includes a home page, product category pages, and an about us page. The products section is divided into two subsections that are represented in this embodiment by drop-down menus. The first subsection is “type” that indicates the type of the menu item: DataSourceDriven. The second subsection is “source” which indicates the source of the menu items: store navigation categories. This configuration tells the system to populate this part of the navigation menu with product categories stored outside of the menu editor in 112.

The data and information from the navigation menu editor 104 is saved in the navigation menu item database 106. Once stored in the database 106, the data is retrieved by an application program interface (API) 108 that provides a product menu representation to the user via a user interface (UI). When a menu is rendered, that store catalog ‘placeholder’ that was stored using navigation menu editor, is replaced by the actual product categories which appear as menu items to the buyer. This is accomplished by calling a navigational categories service 112. The API 108 returns the entire menu including ‘Home’, ‘About Us’, and all product categories, etc.

In some embodiments, an e-commerce website engages in “B2B commerce” where one company sells goods or services to another company. In this instance the seller may be a merchant, a supplier, a vendor, etc. Additionally, the “seller” may actually be an internal part of the buyer's organization such as a inventory/supply department. In these embodiments, the seller sets up product categories in a tree structure of subcategories that include things such as prices, features, inventory, product location, etc. In such an embodiment, the “community” of users which includes external employees, buyers, customers, and other external personnel have limited and controlled access to the website. The storefront of the website is set up and publish a product menu to the community. The menu is dynamic and changes as categories are automatically updated, added or removed. These changes are automatically implemented without further action by the seller to the menu. These changes to the menu may be based on the identity of the user and their specific needs or requirements. Additionally, the storefront menu is populated based on which member of the community is accessing the website.

In one example embodiment using an e-commerce application, a store manager can create a list of Product Categories and organize them in a hierarchy or “tree” with a product catalog editor inside a commerce console application. This allows the customer to take that hierarchy and use it as the navigation menu for a commerce storefront/community template. The category tree structure editing is done with a product catalog editor that is outside of the application builder but is inside commerce application. During use by a customer or “buyer”, the category tree structure is retrieved via category/storefront API at runtime. The search of the category tree structure takes care of entitlements and filters out empty categories. “Entitlements” control what products a certain buyer can view, purchase and at what price, etc. This covers which products are available and what price is negotiated based on contracts with the user. All top-level categories from a catalog show up in the menu at runtime. Categories may not be shown for reasons such as: online/offline, effective dates, inventory, etc.

Turning now to FIG. 2, a flow chart 200 is shown of a method of implementing a product category driven menu in accordance with one embodiment. First, a user creates a product category list 202, organizes the categories into a hierarchy 204 and stores them in a database 206. In addition to the navigation menu editor, a “category hierarchy editor” or “product catalog editor” may be used to create and edit the product list and hierarchy or “tree” for a menu that is available to a customer. The editing is done with an editor located outside of the application builder but inside commerce application.

The categories are accessed by a customer through an API and filtered according to the hierarchy 210. The category tree structure is retrieved via the API at runtime. The search of the category tree structure takes filters out empty categories and shows top-level categories in the menu. These categories of products are then displayed to the customer via a UI 212.

A multi-tenant database system may be used to implement some embodiments. Turning now to FIG. 3, an exemplary multi-tenant system 300 is shown that includes a server 302 that dynamically creates and supports virtual applications 328 based upon data 332 from a database 330 that may be shared between multiple tenants, referred to herein as a multi-tenant database. Data and services generated by the virtual applications 328 are provided via a network 345 to any number of client devices 340, as desired. Each virtual application 328 is suitably generated at run-time (or on-demand) using a common application platform 310 that securely provides access to the data 332 in the database 330 for each of the various tenants subscribing to the multi-tenant system 300. In accordance with one non-limiting example, the multi-tenant system 300 is implemented in the form of an on-demand multi-tenant customer relationship management (CRM) system that can support any number of authenticated users of multiple tenants.

As used herein, a “tenant” or an “organization” should be understood as referring to a group of one or more users that shares access to common subset of the data within the multi-tenant database 330. In this regard, each tenant includes one or more users associated with, assigned to, or otherwise belonging to that respective tenant. Stated another way, each respective user within the multi-tenant system 300 is associated with, assigned to, or otherwise belongs to a particular one of the plurality of tenants supported by the multi-tenant system 300. Tenants may represent companies, corporate departments, business or legal organizations, and/or any other entities that maintain data for particular sets of users (such as their respective customers) within the multi-tenant system 300. Although multiple tenants may share access to the server 302 and the database 330, the particular data and services provided from the server 302 to each tenant can be securely isolated from those provided to other tenants. The multi-tenant architecture therefore allows different sets of users to share functionality and hardware resources without necessarily sharing any of the data 332 belonging to or otherwise associated with other tenants.

The multi-tenant database 330 may be a repository or other data storage system capable of storing and managing the data 332 associated with any number of tenants. The database 330 may be implemented using conventional database server hardware. In various embodiments, the database 330 shares processing hardware 304 with the server 302. In other embodiments, the database 330 is implemented using separate physical and/or virtual database server hardware that communicates with the server 302 to perform the various functions described herein. In an exemplary embodiment, the database 330 includes a database management system or other equivalent software capable of determining an optimal query plan for retrieving and providing a particular subset of the data 332 to an instance of virtual application 328 in response to a query initiated or otherwise provided by a virtual application 328, as described in greater detail below. The multi-tenant database 330 may alternatively be referred to herein as an on-demand database, in that the multi-tenant database 330 provides (or is available to provide) data at run-time to on-demand virtual applications 328 generated by the application platform 310, as described in greater detail below.

In practice, the data 332 may be organized and formatted in any manner to support the application platform 310. In various embodiments, the data 332 is suitably organized into a relatively small number of large data tables to maintain a semi-amorphous “heap”-type format. The data 332 can then be organized as needed for a particular virtual application 328. In various embodiments, conventional data relationships are established using any number of pivot tables 334 that establish indexing, uniqueness, relationships between entities, and/or other aspects of conventional database organization as desired. Further data manipulation and report formatting is generally performed at run-time using a variety of metadata constructs. Metadata within a universal data directory (UDD) 336, for example, can be used to describe any number of forms, reports, workflows, user access privileges, business logic and other constructs that are common to multiple tenants. Tenant-specific formatting, functions and other constructs may be maintained as tenant-specific metadata 338 for each tenant, as desired. Rather than forcing the data 332 into an inflexible global structure that is common to all tenants and applications, the database 330 is organized to be relatively amorphous, with the pivot tables 334 and the metadata 338 providing additional structure on an as-needed basis. To that end, the application platform 310 suitably uses the pivot tables 334 and/or the metadata 338 to generate “virtual” components of the virtual applications 328 to logically obtain, process, and present the relatively amorphous data 332 from the database 330.

The server 302 may be implemented using one or more actual and/or virtual computing systems that collectively provide the dynamic application platform 310 for generating the virtual applications 328. For example, the server 302 may be implemented using a cluster of actual and/or virtual servers operating in conjunction with each other, typically in association with conventional network communications, cluster management, load balancing and other features as appropriate. The server 302 operates with any sort of conventional processing hardware 304, such as a processor 305, memory 306, input/output features 307 and the like. The input/output features 307 generally represent the interface(s) to networks (e.g., to the network 345, or any other local area, wide area or other network), mass storage, display devices, data entry devices and/or the like. The processor 305 may be implemented using any suitable processing system, such as one or more processors, controllers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, processing cores and/or other computing resources spread across any number of distributed or integrated systems, including any number of “cloud-based” or other virtual systems. The memory 306 represents any non-transitory short or long term storage or other computer-readable media capable of storing programming instructions for execution on the processor 305, including any sort of random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), flash memory, magnetic or optical mass storage, and/or the like. The computer-executable programming instructions, when read and executed by the server 302 and/or processor 305, cause the server 302 and/or processor 305 to create, generate, or otherwise facilitate the application platform 310 and/or virtual applications 328 and perform one or more additional tasks, operations, functions, and/or processes described herein. It should be noted that the memory 306 represents one suitable implementation of such computer-readable media, and alternatively or additionally, the server 302 could receive and cooperate with external computer-readable media that is realized as a portable or mobile component or platform, e.g., a portable hard drive, a USB flash drive, an optical disc, or the like.

The application platform 310 is any sort of software application or other data processing engine that generates the virtual applications 328 that provide data and/or services to the client devices 340. In a typical embodiment, the application platform 310 gains access to processing resources, communications interfaces and other features of the processing hardware 304 using any sort of conventional or proprietary operating system 308. The virtual applications 328 are typically generated at run-time in response to input received from the client devices 340. For the illustrated embodiment, the application platform 310 includes a bulk data processing engine 312, a query generator 314, a search engine 316 that provides text indexing and other search functionality, and a runtime application generator 320. Each of these features may be implemented as a separate process or other module, and many equivalent embodiments could include different and/or additional features, components or other modules as desired.

The runtime application generator 320 dynamically builds and executes the virtual applications 328 in response to specific requests received from the client devices 340. The virtual applications 328 are typically constructed in accordance with the tenant-specific metadata 338, which describes the particular tables, reports, interfaces and/or other features of the particular application 328. In various embodiments, each virtual application 328 generates dynamic web content that can be served to a browser or other client program 342 associated with its client device 340, as appropriate.

The runtime application generator 320 suitably interacts with the query generator 314 to efficiently obtain multi-tenant data 332 from the database 330 as needed in response to input queries initiated or otherwise provided by users of the client devices 340. In a typical embodiment, the query generator 314 considers the identity of the user requesting a particular function (along with the user's associated tenant), and then builds and executes queries to the database 330 using system-wide metadata 336, tenant specific metadata 338, pivot tables 334, and/or any other available resources. The query generator 314 in this example therefore maintains security of the common database 330 by ensuring that queries are consistent with access privileges granted to the user and/or tenant that initiated the request.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, the data processing engine 312 performs bulk processing operations on the data 332 such as uploads or downloads, updates, online transaction processing, and/or the like. In many embodiments, less urgent bulk processing of the data 332 can be scheduled to occur as processing resources become available, thereby giving priority to more urgent data processing by the query generator 314, the search engine 316, the virtual applications 328, etc.

In exemplary embodiments, the application platform 310 is utilized to create and/or generate data-driven virtual applications 328 for the tenants that they support. Such virtual applications 328 may make use of interface features such as custom (or tenant-specific) screens 324, standard (or universal) screens 322 or the like. Any number of custom and/or standard objects 326 may also be available for integration into tenant-developed virtual applications 328. As used herein, “custom” should be understood as meaning that a respective object or application is tenant-specific (e.g., only available to users associated with a particular tenant in the multi-tenant system) or user-specific (e.g., only available to a particular subset of users within the multi-tenant system), whereas “standard” or “universal” applications or objects are available across multiple tenants in the multi-tenant system. The data 332 associated with each virtual application 328 is provided to the database 330, as appropriate, and stored until it is requested or is otherwise needed, along with the metadata 338 that describes the particular features (e.g., reports, tables, functions, objects, fields, formulas, code, etc.) of that particular virtual application 328. For example, a virtual application 328 may include a number of objects 326 accessible to a tenant, wherein for each object 326 accessible to the tenant, information pertaining to its object type along with values for various fields associated with that respective object type are maintained as metadata 338 in the database 330. In this regard, the object type defines the structure (e.g., the formatting, functions and other constructs) of each respective object 326 and the various fields associated therewith.

Still referring to FIG. 3, the data and services provided by the server 302 can be retrieved using any sort of personal computer, mobile telephone, tablet or other network-enabled client device 340 on the network 345. In an exemplary embodiment, the client device 340 includes a display device, such as a monitor, screen, or another conventional electronic display capable of graphically presenting data and/or information retrieved from the multi-tenant database 330, as described in greater detail below. Typically, the user operates a conventional browser application or other client program 342 executed by the client device 340 to contact the server 302 via the network 345 using a networking protocol, such as the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP) or the like. The user typically authenticates his or her identity to the server 302 to obtain a session identifier (“SessionID”) that identifies the user in subsequent communications with the server 302. When the identified user requests access to a virtual application 328, the runtime application generator 320 suitably creates the application at run time based upon the metadata 338, as appropriate. As noted above, the virtual application 328 may contain Java, ActiveX, or other content that can be presented using conventional client software running on the client device 340; other embodiments may simply provide dynamic web or other content that can be presented and viewed by the user, as desired. As described in greater detail below, the query generator 314 suitably obtains the requested subsets of data 332 from the database 330 as needed to populate the tables, reports or other features of the particular virtual application 328.

Techniques and technologies may be described herein in terms of functional and/or logical block components, and with reference to symbolic representations of operations, processing tasks, and functions that may be performed by various computing components or devices. Such operations, tasks, and functions are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed, computerized, software-implemented, or computer-implemented. In practice, one or more processor devices can carry out the described operations, tasks, and functions by manipulating electrical signals representing data bits at memory locations in the system memory, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, optical, or organic properties corresponding to the data bits. It should be appreciated that the various block components shown in the figures may be realized by any number of hardware, software, and/or firmware components configured to perform the specified functions. For example, an embodiment of a system or a component may employ various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements, digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Additionally, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented using mobile devices, smart wearable devices, virtual systems, etc.

When implemented in software or firmware, various elements of the systems described herein are essentially the code segments or instructions that perform the various tasks. The program or code segments can be stored in a processor-readable medium or transmitted by a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave over a transmission medium or communication path. The “processor-readable medium” or “machine-readable medium” may include any medium that can store or transfer information. Examples of the processor-readable medium include an electronic circuit, a semiconductor memory device, a ROM, a flash memory, an erasable ROM (EROM), a floppy diskette, a CD-ROM, an optical disk, a hard disk, a fiber optic medium, a radio frequency (RF) link, or the like. The computer data signal may include any signal that can propagate over a transmission medium such as electronic network channels, optical fibers, air, electromagnetic paths, or RF links. The code segments may be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, or the like.

“Node/Port”—As used herein, a “node” means any internal or external reference point, connection point, junction, signal line, conductive element, or the like, at which a given signal, logic level, voltage, data pattern, current, or quantity is present. Furthermore, two or more nodes may be realized by one physical element (and two or more signals can be multiplexed, modulated, or otherwise distinguished even though received or output at a common node). As used herein, a “port” means a node that is externally accessible via, for example, a physical connector, an input or output pin, a test probe, a bonding pad, or the like.

“Connected/Coupled”—The following description refers to elements or nodes or features being “connected” or “coupled” together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, “coupled” means that one element/node/feature is directly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly communicates with) another element/node/feature, and not necessarily mechanically. Likewise, unless expressly stated otherwise, “connected” means that one element/node/feature is directly joined to (or directly communicates with) another element/node/feature, and not necessarily mechanically. Thus, although the schematic shown depicts one exemplary arrangement of elements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or components may be present in an embodiment of the depicted subject matter.

In addition, certain terminology may also be used in the following description for the purpose of reference only, and thus are not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as “upper”, “lower”, “above”, and “below” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. Terms such as “front”, “back”, “rear”, “side”, “outboard”, and “inboard” describe the orientation and/or location of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Similarly, the terms “first”, “second”, and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to signal processing, data transmission, signaling, network control, and other functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating components of the systems) may not be described in detail herein. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in an embodiment of the subject matter.

The various tasks performed in connection with the process may be performed by software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. For illustrative purposes, the description of the process may refer to elements mentioned above. In practice, portions of the process may be performed by different elements of the described system, e.g., component A, component B, or component C. It should be appreciated that process may include any number of additional or alternative tasks, the tasks shown need not be performed in the illustrated order, and the process may be incorporated into a more comprehensive procedure or process having additional functionality not described in detail herein. Moreover, one or more of the tasks could be omitted from an embodiment of the process as long as the intended overall functionality remains intact.

The foregoing detailed description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or the application and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, or detailed description.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claimed subject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope defined by the claims, which includes known equivalents and foreseeable equivalents at the time of filing this patent application. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method, comprising: creating a product category list as a result of input at a navigation menu editor for a website, where the product category list includes one or more product categories, and where a product category of the one or more product categories corresponds to one or more products; organizing the product category list into a tree hierarchy, where the tree hierarchy defines an order of the one or more product categories; storing the product category list into a database for later retrieval; accessing the stored product category list in the database; filtering the stored product category list based on the tree hierarchy, where criteria for filtering is automatically updated based on the identity of a user; and causing display of the filtered product categories as a product menu to the user of the website via a user interface (UI).
 2. The method of claim 1, where the tree hierarchy for the product category list divides the products into subcategories.
 3. The method of claim 2, where the product subcategories comprise the price of the product.
 4. The method of claim 2, where the product subcategories comprise the features of the product.
 5. The method of claim 2, where the product subcategories comprise the inventory of the product.
 6. The method of claim 2, where the product subcategories comprise the location of the product.
 7. The method of claim 1, where the product category list is filtered to not show products that lack adequate inventory.
 8. The method of claim 1, where the product category list is filtered to not show products that are past their effective date.
 9. The method of claim 1, where the product category list is filtered to not show products that not needed by the user.
 10. The method of claim 1, where the filtering of the product category list is updated automatically conducted based on the identity of the user.
 11. The method of claim 1, where the filtering of the product category list is updated automatically based on changes to the status of the products.
 12. A system, comprising: a navigation menu editor that allows a manager of a website to create a product category list and organize the product category list into a tree hierarchy; a database that stores the product category list for later retrieval; an application program interface (API) that accesses the stored product category list in the database and filters the product category list based on the tree hierarchy, where criteria for filtering is automatically updated based on the identity of a user; and a user interface (UI) the displays the filtered product categories as a product menu to a user of the website.
 13. The system of claim 12, where the tree hierarchy for the product category list divides the products into subcategories.
 14. The system of claim 13, where the product subcategories comprise the price of the product.
 15. The system of claim 13, where the product subcategories comprise the features of the product.
 16. The system of claim 13, where the product subcategories comprise the inventory of the product.
 17. The system of claim 13, where the product subcategories comprise the location of the product.
 18. The system of claim 12, where the product category list is filtered to not show products that not needed by the user.
 19. The system of claim 12, where the filtering of the product category list is updated automatically conducted based on the identity of the user.
 20. The system of claim 12, where the filtering of the product category list is updated automatically based on changes to the status of the products. 